Wolf's Prey
by LadyPersphone
Summary: TasukiXMiaka Miaka enters an acient world and unkowingly becomes the prey to a very lustful fang boy. She's determined to get back home and away from him, knowing nothing about this new world or how she got there. Tasuki's hell bent on ruining her escape.
1. The Hunter

**Disclaimer:** Fushigi Yugi and all its characters are the rightful property of Yuu Watase.

Rating: M

Chapter: 1 (The Hunter)

The air was swiftly sucked out of her lungs as the world spun. Suddenly Miaka was enveloped in a dazzling red light. The blinding sight of the light stung her eyes as the ground seemed to give way from underneath her at the same time. Without time to think or understand what was happening instinct commanded her to react. She outstretched her hands, desperately trying to look for something to grab on to. Her attempts failed as she felt her body go weightless plunging into the floor. The force of the falling flung her hands up and over her head. She was sinking faster and faster. "Help me! Please someone, please! Someone please, HELP ME!" Screaming uncontrollably she could do little to fight the oncoming darkness that slowly enveloped her sight causing the world to go black, extinguishing the last ray of light from her sight.

The sound of a birdcall echoed in the distance as the mountain sent a lazy breeze, shaking trees and rustling plant foliage. Densely packed fresh green shrubbery laid everywhere, stuck with new fallen dew drops of spring time showers. A small white rabbit emerged under a bush. Sticking its nose up in the air it hesitantly hopped into the clearing. Its eyes wide with unease and perked ears jutted out with purpose, ready to pick up the lightest hint of sound. Soft footsteps jerked the rabbits head toward the noise. Eager to run its body tensed at the oncoming sound.

A spotted baby doe revealed itself in the clearing, bounding over the white rabbit in flashy show of unbridled energetic youth. The rabbit dashed away, more out of annoyance than petrified terror. The mother deer, not far away from its baby, strode into the clearing with light speckled markings. She slowly tucked each one of her legs underneath her body and sat down on the ground. Knowing her baby wouldn't stray far away. Surveying the scene before her she kept a close eye on her baby. Noticing that he had quietly settled down, standing still to eat some grass, only inches away from her. Feeling secure and in no danger, she bent her own head down to nibble at the fresh green grass in front of her.

Suddenly the whizzing hiss of an arrow connected with the earth's soil close to the mother deer's position. The arrow had barley missed its mark of colliding with the mother deer's head. The abrupt outburst caused the animals to instantly scatter and retreat back into the safety of their forest homes.

"GOD DAMMIT!," bellow Tasuki.

"Did ya see that!" He wildly pointed his index finger at the now empty pasture. "You just cost us our fucking dinner Koji!"

Kouji rolled his smoky grey eyes as he ran a hand through his exotic blue hair. He pushed Tasuki's other remaining hand away from his shirt collar where Tasuki firm grasp had tried to yoke him up. His eyes meet Tasuki's and they looked mildly amused.

"Don't blame me! You know you can't aim worth a shit. Now if you would have given me the bow and arrow I guarantee you there would have been deer for dinner."

Tasuki jumped down off the small cliff and dusted himself off. After sitting on his stomach for four consecutive hours he felt a serious cramp coming on. His legs needed a good stretch and his muscles seemed frozen in place. He slowly cracked each one of his fingers and then swiftly arched his back muscles, letting the stretch work the stiffness out. Arching his head to the left and right he deceased when his body responded with a familiar popping sound, signaling his success at cracking his neck. Turning his head upward to look up at Kouji, he realized his friend was smiling at him and had sat himself down to watch his reactions. His face showed none of the disgruntlement that Tasuki felt was all to noticeably written across his own.

A though came to his mind, "_That little prick! He's enjoying this._"

Hardening his features, eyebrows tight, with lips curled upward to show his sneer baring canine fangs. Tasuki's voice came out sharp and threatening.

"Ass! No one asked you to hit me with a rock while I was trying to hunt!"

He let his hands drop to the gold plated hoister around his hip that carried his tessen fan. Effortlessly he pulled out the all familiar iron fan from its restrictive confinement. Etched into the fan were images of ferocious winged dragons locked into battle with its historic enemy the tiger. The dragon was half-way in midair with the look of all consuming absolute rage, spouting ferocious glistening fangs. The dragon's sight was locked on the image of the mighty Bengal tiger that equally bared its own fangs right back. Each super power seemed to take up one side of the Earth. The Dragon's body covered the Eastern half with its tail rising high. The tiger's mass was positioned directly opposite from the dragon taking up the Western hemisphere. Both creatures were stepping on the Earth and sea caring little about anything else then the current fight at hand. Out in the distance loomed the all seeing eyes of the mighty read phoenix that carried the rising sun on its wingtips. Soaring into the peaks of heaven it seemed to focus on little more than flying as high as possible. The trivial fight between the dragon and tiger was not its concern. Blazing with fiery glowing feathers that merged with the glow of the sun, the bird was poised with its feathers outstretched and its lovely tail wrapped underneath the sun.

Pointing the fan in front of him directly at Koji he let out a menacing threat.

"Try anything else and I'll have to remind you why I'm the leader!"

Kouji put up his hands in mock defeat and shrugged his shoulders.

Suppressing a chuckle at having successfully gotten Tasuki all worked up, he convinced himself that making Tasuki any more angrier then he already was only going to result in them brawling. A fun activity to pass the time away at first, but easily a painful experience to deal with in the morning when they had to nurse their individual wounds. Both men were strong in their own right and Kouji had no trouble starting a fight with Tasuki. They had such history together that it was inevitable that they had been in more fights together then even he could remember. But that tessen did leave nasty burn marks that took particularly long to heal. Tasuki didn't always use the tessen on him he just liked to show Kouji that he could and would use it if he was provoked passed the point of reason. Tasuki's reasoning started with his stomach and ended with his brain, unlike most people, making Tasuki's unpredictability at its worse when he hadn't eaten anything.

"Hey here's an idea." Kouji called down to Tasuki. He stood up to his full height of five foot eight and set his right foot on the rock in front of him, letting his left hand fall on his hip while the right one cupped his chin. Messaging his chin gently his eyes looked mischievously pleased but his tone spoke otherwise.

"Stop whining like a woman and get the DAMN arrow! We only got so many left and you've already lost three yesterday. We can't kill game if we don't have any arrows."

Tasuki waved his tessen one more time for good measure before putting it back into its holster. It was going to get dark soon and if he didn't find the arrow now it would be hell trying to find it later. In order to blend in with the surroundings while hunting Kouji had insisted on Tasuki using naturally made wooden arrows. The problem was they sometimes blended in a little to well, making them nearly impossible to find. Not to mention he hadn't been paying the best attention to where his arrow had fallen when the rock at connected with the back of his head. One minute he was looking at the deer's throat and the next he was pulling Kouji up by the collar of his shirt. Cussing and swearing to end his life on that very spot. Dropping down on all fours he began patting the grass looking enraged.

"Where is this damn arrow?" he muttered.

Growing impatient he pulled at the grass in front of him, finding comfort in how easily the grass yielded to his grip. Mentally he wished it was Kouji's neck he had his hands on. Lost in a fit of hunger and irritability he began muttering to himself while he searched the forest floor.

"No good friend of mine. Who lost the arrows? Tasuki lost the arrows? No thanks to that jerk off. Hitting me with rocks and shit while I'm trying to hunt. Just so he can turn around and say, 'See I told you so! You should let me do the hunting from now on. With your bad aiming we won't eat for days on end!' It's his God damn fault not mine!" hissed Tasuki.

Kouji watched with interest as Tasuki crawled around on the ground trying to retrieve the lost arrow. He was damned if he was going to help him, not until Tasuki admitted he was going to hand the official hunting duties over to him. The entire gang acknowledged Tasuki as their new leader and looked up to him as the best fighter. Why did he have to be the best hunter now too? For cry'n out loud he could certainly handle getting game every now and then for the guys. Tasuki did everything and quite frankly it was making him feel less and less of an equal friend and more of a tag along. Even the wooden arrows hadn't completely deterred Tasuki from hunting. He purposely had bought all wooden arrows with no markings or distinct colors in order to make Tasuki's retrieval of finding the arrows pure Hell. He knew Tasuki was an impatient man and the idea that every time he went hunting meant he had to spend twice as long looking for the arrows was Kouji's way of making sure to piss him off like no other. Eventually Kouji hoped Tasuki would simply give up and make him do the hunting. But no here they were four days into their hunting excursion with nothing to show for it. In the mean time their provisions were whittling away and stubborn Tasuki was still doing all the hunting, putting Kouji in charge of scouting and tracking. He was the same bull headed Tasuki he had always been and if they had to starve themselves and hunt on an empty stomach then he had a feeling Tasuki would make them do just that. Kouji guessed this was why him and the guys had chosen Tasuki as a leader. But damn if these same qualities weren't keeping him from helping him right now. He could find the arrow on his own for all he cared.

"Oh well…" he sighed. As long as they were hunting Tasuki would just have to deal with some certain unavoidable distractions until he came to his senses. Kouji let out a chuckle and let his gaze look overhead out on to the horizon. The sky looked dark and ominous as the clouds swirled with motion. It looked as if the heaven's were about to open up.

"What the hell….." Kouji trailed off.


	2. The Fallen

**Disclaimer:** Fushigi Yugi and all its characters are the rightful property of Yuu Watase.

Rating: M

Chapter: 2 (The Fallen)

Miaka found herself hurled into the air right in the middle of a storm. Thunder crashed around her and she felt the sting of icy rain pelt each inch of her delicately exposed skin from her hands, legs and face. The flimsy school uniform was no match for the current tumulus weather her body faced. Just a short time ago Miaka had felt as if she had been falling forever into an endless black void. Having long stopped screaming her nerves had given way to numbness as she let her body go to the feeling of vertigo, until suddenly she was blinded by the remarkable explosion of light and sound. Her eyes could barely make out the ground underneath her as her vision blurred with the rapid speed of her continuous falling. Her mind was racing as she finally came to the conclusion that she was going to die. She just knew death was coming for her and there was no point fighting it. How could she survive a fall from this height? Letting her hands cover her face to avoid the view of the impending ground coming closer and closer. With one final thought she hoped for a painless and quick death. She closed her eyes and began to cry. It only took seconds for Miaka's body to collide with the ground.

Hou and Yensi had just had the best day of their lives. First they had cheated death during combat and now they had the marvelous fortune of stumbling across a half naked girl on the outskirts of town.

Hou kneeled down and openly stared at the backside of the girl on the ground.

"Is she dead Hou?" sounded a powerful voice laced with disgust.

"No Yensi she just looks unconscious," replied a soft spoken Hou.

Yensi pulled the reins of his horse, commanding the animal to step closer to the body. Sleek and powerful the black stallion let out a snort of compliance as it moved closer. Yensi removed his armored silver helmet and spoke sharply in a condescending tone.

"Looking's not going to tell me anything. Now if you are not going to touch her to see if she's dead or not then I will!" Hou dropped his gaze from Yensi and stared with shame at the ground.

"Honestly Hou…." grumbled Yensi "You look like the girl's going to wake up and eat your soul. We just left a battle today in one piece when our general's forces were out numbered one to four. The Gods certainly won't use a little girl to send us to our final resting place."

He kicked one foot over his saddle and got off his horse. Sneering at Hou's downward face he bent himself down and turned the girl's body in order to better see her face. Studying her features he let his eyes travel over her body, noticing her unusual looking torn clothing and filthy appearance. Thinking to himself he concluded this girl had probably been abandoned and or abused sexually, no telling who had been or done what to her with the condition she was in now. It was not uncommon to find dumped bodies or dying kidnapped victims just lying on the dangerous roads outside of town. People were naturally scared of the unknown and thieves, robbers, and murderer's thrived in the wild untamed places, eagerly looking for unsuspecting victims to pick pocket for change, hold for ransom or worse. Seems this girl had received more than she bargained for…. Deciding there was no use in contemplating these thoughts if she was dead, he began looking for signs of life. Yensi placed his hands over the girl's breasts, enjoying the feel he kneading them forcefully before placing his head on her chest, listening for a heart beat. There was a faint but consistent thumb that signaled she was unconscious for the moment but alive.

Looking up he caught Hou's eyes. "Good she's still alive although barely. We can't have any fun with her if she's dead, besides I'm sure the selling price for high class whores around here is quite high."

"How do you know she's a whore?" asked Hou quietly with interest.

"Don't be an idiot, just look at her clothes! No respectable woman walks around like this. She might as well be stark naked!" spat Yensi. "I have no doubt someone probably kidnapped her, used her and then dumped the body in the river. You know the Juken River isn't to far from here; she probably wandered out to the main road and passed out here. But it's obvious from her strange and revealing clothes that she's a foreign prostitute. Even if she wasn't soaking wet with gashes in her clothing, she's showing way to much skin for a modest kidnapped woman."

Hou looked closer at the girl's body with newfound interest and was shocked to see she did have the weirdest clothes on he had ever seen. Funny, he thought, "_I guess she is a foreigner._"

If Yensi was right then her clothing indicated she was an exotic high class prostitute from an unknown emperor's harem. Studying her closer his eyes swept leisurely over her dainty frame. When Hou had viewed her from the back she had just appeared dirty. But now that he could see her from the front it was apparent that her clothing was truly that of a prostitute. The material left nothing to the imagination. Her shirt was wet and stuck to her body, nicely outlining her bust for anyone to see right down to her pink nipples that jutted out. While the material for her legs had risen up to reveal the seductive lines of her bare bottom. Hou noticed that even if someone had pulled it down you still would have been able to see the majority of her legs. Hou felt his face go a deep crimson when he though how close he was to an actual prostitute. Quickly he turned his face from the sight, hoping to clear his mind of the seductive body that would forever be burned into his mind's eye.

Yensi looked over at Hou's red face and laughed.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!…Now, now, now don't you start getting any ideas! You may be a soldier but in my eyes you are still a boy. Why you've never even been with a woman, not that this thing here is a good representation of a woman. Why I've seen women in the city marketplace that have breasts the size of grapefruits!" Yensi's hands shot up in front of his armored chest in semi circles to fully emphasize his point, taking special care to try and lock eyes with Hou's.

Hou ignored Yensi's brash attempts to make him feel uncomfortable by looking down at the ground again, although this time he focused on kicking a rock. Sticking to kicking the pebble in front of him his mind whirled as it tried in vain to calm his rising nerves and rid the red flush of emotion that continued to blaze across his face.

Yensi continued speaking with a growing pitch and unnecessary enthusiasm as he changed topics. Seeing Hou's embarrassed state his green eyes glazed over recalling to mind a pleasant thought. "Why I remember when I first meet you during training. Took one look at you and thought to myself, now how is a runt like that going to survive combat training, let alone successfully succeed in serving his emperor? He won't even bring himself honor and glory as a true warrior! Clearly such a weakling…"

Hou tried to steer the topic toward other things, not liking where the conversation was headed. His history with Yensi was shaky at best. After leaving his family at the age of nineteen to join the Imperial Guards in a quest to gain honor for his family, he had come across Yensi. Four years his senior and with more muscle in his right finger then Hou's entire body, he was everything Hou was not. With sharp piercing green eyes and short black hair, his face held the promise of arrogance, swagger, and ego all wrapped up into one clear definition of the word "superior." He was exactly six foot and towered over Yensi in ever way making him feel inferior with just a look. By clear definition Hou's soft features were almost child like in appearance. His face was heart shaped and held crystal blue eyes and light blond hair. His body was medium height with slight muscle definition earned through his natural flexibility, which he considered an advantage in battle. But compared to Yensi's chiseled power house of a body his looked like he had just began going through the rigorous strains of puberty. He failed to appear manly in the presence of Yensi looking instead more like an awkward young boy.

At training camp Yensi was the leading commander of new recruits. From the very first glance exchanged between the two, he had suddenly become Yensi's personal punching bag. Every exercise in combat training was a demonstration of how Hou was inadequate, weak, and all together unfit to be a warrior in every way possible. Hou didn't even have time to ponder if his performance was worth such punishment, because Yensi seemed determined to beat him to death, in a never ending pursuit designed to mold him into his ideal of the perfect warrior. Yensi was constantly making Hou train after hours, making him stand hips deep in freezing rivers, while holding heavy rocks designed to steel his will and focus his concentration, He practiced his soldier instincts when faced with enemy ambushes in wild woods known for their dangerous beasts. All the while Yensi unmercifully barked orders at him to "Straighten his pose" or "Guard his vulnerable spots," while the rest of the warriors were eating or sleeping. Hou had secretly thought he had found his own personal Hell on Earth and Yensi was the Devil incarnated.

After ten months of extensive dawn till dusk training regimen the day all soldiers feared had arrived. Two messengers ran wildly into camp carrying with them a white scroll wrapped with red ribbon signaling war, meaning a call for able soldiers. While generals assigned troop placement and starting positions, the Gods above had cursed him with the company of Yensi as a companion for his first encountered with the Red Sea of Blood known as the battlefield. He had known signing up for a life in the army was not going to be a cake walk, but still, why was he the one that had to suffer the sharp pains of dealing with Yensi everyday?

Erasing the vivid images of the battle they had nearly escaped with their lives today he cut off Yensi. Pointing to the girl next to Yensi he responded, "So…are we taking her into town with us?"

Yensi's face looked at Hou with contempt, annoyed that he would interrupt his magnificent story for such a simple question. "Of course we are Hou how else are we going to sell her, think for once!"

Standing up Yensi positioned the girl's body over his shoulder as he pulled himself onto the horse. Once on the horse himself he slid her body down and over his armor as he slowly positioned the girl's head to rest on his chest.

Hou looked up at Yensi thinking he looked like an angry soldier that had went into a rampage and destroyed an entire village for a single girl. He could probably do such a thing to, thought Hou, his ferociousness with my training and his enemies today is unbelievable.

Yensi's silver embroidered armor shined in the sun giving him the appearance of a regal deity. Yensi snapped his reigns causing his horse to become startled. The horse buckled and began walking in front of Hou nearly stepping on his feet.

"Get your head out of the clouds Hou! Soldier's that daydream never wake up from those dreams! Do you really want to indulge in behaviors that will get you killed?" He phrased the question with a hint of ominous foreboding. "If so do it _alone_ I'm off for the city to fetch a price for this harem girl."

With a second snap Yensi's horse took off, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process. Hou's horse was startled and began running as well.

Hou coughed and chocked as his eyes watered with the sting of dust and debris. Waving his arms in front of him he blindly reached out trying to clear the air. Knowing his attempts were useless he began running forward hoping to see where his horse was. The swift footed brown stallion he called Wind-Rider was running right along side Yensi's own monstrous black stallion named Avenger. Cursing his luck for the second time today in short rasps between choking breaths, he ran in utmost despair far behind Yensi and his own horse.


	3. To Have & To Hold

**Disclaimer:** Fushigi Yugi and all its characters are the rightful property of Yuu Watase.

Rating: M

Chapter: 3 (To Have & To Hold)

Yensi never glanced back even once as Avenger ran at full speed. Entering the town he commanded the horse to slow its pace with a sharp twist of his reins and small pat between the ears.

"Steady, steady there."

Surveying the scene he found people bustling everywhere with activity and purpose. They were hanging lamps, building fires, painting masks and decorating roof tops. Even shop owners were setting up display signs and smells of cooked fish and steamed vegetables hovered in the air.

A sharp neighing noise from the distance caught his attention. Turning around he saw Wind Rider, Hou's horse, prancing between two shopkeepers. The horse had a large carrot sticking out of its mouth and seemed to enjoy all the attention and commotion it was causing.

The first shopkeeper chasing the horse was thin and grey of hair. Sweating profusely he looked like he had been chasing the horse for quite some time now. Stumbling over himself and others, he waved a butcher's knife menacingly back and forth while threatening to dismember the horse.

"Get back here you worthless animal!" he shouted between heavy labored breathes.

At the same time, the other shopkeeper was younger, "_Perhaps in his mid twenties_," thought Yensi. He was busy desperately trying to block the horse from the food cart. Waving both his hands up in the air in front of him like a shield, he frantically tried to keep a distance between the food supplies and WindRider. The horse turned from the old man and went charging toward the food cart, eager for more carrots.

"Father he's coming back for more what should I do!" the boy wailed in desperation.

Yensi let out an exasperated sigh, this scene was pathetic. While the old man tried his hardest to scare the horse into leaving, he only ended up succeeding in chasing Wind-Rider towards his son. The son waving his arms helplessly could only attempt to block the horse for a few seconds with his hands before Wind-Rider playful dodged beside him and stole yet another carrot from the bin.

Other shopkeeper's laughed and stared at the comedic scene. Enjoying the escape from work that setting up for the festival had provided them with all day long. Children, wives, and concubines all gathered to watch, some even cheered on the horse.

"Look at old man Geinken run! Why he would never be able to catch that horse even if he was as young as his son Nerou. You can tell just by looking at the horse's coat he belongs to a great trainer, he's built for speed!," called a cheerful man from the front.

"Geinken if the Gods happen to be so kind to you today and let you catch that horse don't you dare kill it. I'll pay double the amount your steamed rice bowls are worth and throw in the cost of the carrots he ate, if you give me the horse!," came a hefty voice laced with liquor.

"Momma, let Nerou give the horse some carrots he's hungry," piped a small girl hiding behind her mother's dress.

Yensi watched with growing animosity, he hated being reminder of how fast Hou's horse was. He never liked other people having an advantage over him. His own horse, Avenger could never pick up such speeds on his own, but what he lacked in speed he made up for in power. Avenger could ride all night even if Hou's horse could get there in half the time.

Staring at the horse he noticed it no longer went for the food bin and instead galloped between the boy and his father, nipping at their shoulders and bucking whenever the butcher's knife got to close for its liking. Yensi was tired of this nonsense so he put two fingers in his mouth and let out a low whistle. WindRider's ears perked up as he began making one final run for the food cart, he grabbed another carrot and took off past the young man and his father. Yensi watched as the horse went back down the trail that led out of the village, much to the disappointment of many villagers.

Shaking his head he mumble under his breathe, "An undisciplined horse just like his master. He'll find Hou before he wears himself out running toward town. He should bring him here by nightfall."

The old man fell down exhausted and his son ran over to lift his father back on his feet.

Yensi got down off of Avenger pulling the unconscious girl with him. Slapping the Avenger's side the horse took off after Wind-Rider, down the same dusty path leading out of town. Yensi watched as his horse disappeared into the distance.

Scooping the limp girl up into his arms he made his way deeper into town. Walking with purpose he noticed some onlookers trying to catch a glimpse of him from the corner of his eyes. His soldier's armour was attracting unnecessary attentions, but he had no time to worry about the repercussions. Whatever celebration was going on later would work to his advantage, thought Yensi. These people won't remember me or this girl by tomorrow morning, instead I'll just be another face in the crowd drawn into town for the festival. Deep in thought he failed to notice the small girl in front of him, until he almost stepped on her.

"Hi there!"

Taken aback by the small figure he winced as the young girl smiled at him. She had a dirty faced littered with freckles and short light brown hair that outlined her hazel eyes. Yensi walked on trying his best not to give her anymore encouragement to bother him. He didn't need anymore distractions right now, he needed to be done with this girl and bargain her off before Hou came and this soon to be rowdy festival started. Nightfall was only a few hours away and if he received word from the army to reassemble, he knew he couldn't leave any loose ties. He continued staring forward as he walked, blatantly ignoring her welcoming. The little girl ran along side Yensi's wide strides panting as she tried to keep up, determined to speak with him.

"Mister, mister! What happened to your wife is she okay? Why are all her clothes ripped up? She's sure wearing some funny clothes! You should buy her some pretty clothes at my Uncle's shop, we sell the best clothes in all-"

Stopping in his tracks, Yensi cut her off with a sharp tone of annoyance, "Girl why do you bother me?"

The girl out of breathe bent over and clutched her ankles while pointing to a medium sized wooden shop with a broken sign covered with fresh paint entitled "Silk Clothing and Materials."

In the front of the store a plain looking older girl was sweeping the porch diligently with beads of sweat accumulating on her forehead.

The little girl suddenly ran past Yensi and shouted, "Big sister, big sister! I'm home and guess what, guess what! You'll never guess, but I brought a customer! Look, look, he needs a dress for his wife!"

The older girl appeared startled as she briefly looked up at Yensi and then turned her attention downward as her knees were drawn into a bear hug by the younger girl.

Looking down at the little girl she let her broom fall to the side as she let out a soothing voice filled with concern.

"Umi! Look at your face, my goodness. Did the Gods push you into a puddle or did you do it to yourself?"

Bending down to face the girl she producing a soiled white rag from her skirt's pocket and began wiping Umi's face.

"Do you really want to go around town looking like a beggar's daughter littered with dirt and debris like this!"

The young girl struggled against her sister's attempt to clean her and eventually wiggled from her grasp. Bending over she picked up the broom her sister dropped and waved it in front of her in defense.

"Stop, stop Leena! Serve the customer first and then you can clean me. I am not even that dirty, and if I have to take a bath tonight then I won't even fight you today okay?"

The little girl bounced past her sister running into the house, leaving Yensi alone with her older sister.

Leena looked down from the porch at the handsome stranger that appeared before her, thinking it was just her luck a good looking man had come to the shop today. Leena had decided to clean the shop for the festival, so she had put on her dirtiest rags to clean. What were the odds someone like this would be gazing upon her? Why if she had known she would have worn her finest silk dress. Right now she looked awful no man in his right mind would want to look at her. Leena's long brown hair was covered with dust and her figure was hidden behind lumpy enlarged clothing designed for comfort over style. The plain white tunic of hers was covered with dirt stains, no one had bothered washing it since water was to be used sparingly. Her yellow robe was baggy and loose because it was her mother's when she was pregnant with Umi. Why was she wearing these clothes, now of all days! Letting out a small sigh she concluded their was no point thinking about it now, its not like he's available anyway, look he's got a girl with him.

Stepping down the steps she extended her hand in welcoming.

"Hello, my name is Leena and I run the clothing shop in town owned by my Uncle. Your welcomed to look around for some dresses, robes, costumes or anything else you might need for your-."

Yensi had studied the girl from afar when she was interacting with her little sister called Umi. She was plain looking and dirty just like her sister. At first he had decided to disappear while the two girls were busy conversing, but then a thought came to his mind. Why sell the girl as a whore when you could pawn her off as something much more sophisticated and rare? Surely a virgin bride would fetch a better price then an experienced whore. Yes, his idea was brilliant and in order for it to work he needed better clothes for the girl. No one would believe she was pure and innocent in the ripped up revealing rags she wore now. Baring his white teeth and producing a sexy smile, he lowered his eyes to watch the girl's lips making sure she felt the heat of his gaze when he spoke.

"My dear little sister, please forgive her…. appearance but she was attacked by thieves out on the main road. You see it was entirely my fault."

Yensi pressed the unconscious girl closer to his chest and looked at her lovingly while stroking her chin. Leena watched with fascination as she felt a slight blush rise to her cheeks. She really envied that man's sister, why no man had ever cared for her like that or touched her so gently.

Yensi continued his story claiming Leena's sympathy as he relocked his eyes with hers. "She was coming to town by herself to enjoy the festival. I had insisted she let me escort her but she told me not to worry, knowing my high position in the army and the need for me to be at my post. I let her go, but something told me she wouldn't be alright so I took after her. I found her just before some thieves—."

Leena raised her voice and set a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry! I have no need to pry like this you'll have to excuse me. You don't have to explain anything to me after what you and your sister have been through. Just come on in and I'll get her some water and you can feel free to rest as well."

Yensi removed Leena's hand from his shoulder and slowly brought it to his lips and kissed both sides while making sure to keep his eyes on Leena's the whole time. Keeping Leena's hand captured in his own firm grasp as he continued on.

"How can I ever repay your kindness? I won't stay long, why I only wish to replace these torn rags of clothing my sister has on. So when she awakens she can properly enjoy the festival and forget about that terrible occurrence."

Leena felt her face go blood red from his touch and looked downward at her feet so he couldn't see the effect he was having on her. Why this man had the most wonderful green eyes she had ever seen, they were so exotic, simply captivating she thought to herself. She could loose herself in them forever.

Removing her hand from his grip she couldn't help but think how small and frail her hands were compared to his large and powerful ones laced with muscle. Thoughts of him pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her small waist while he nibbled her neck filled her mind. She wanted him to hold her like he was holding his sister, pressed safely against his strong chest and caressing her cheek as if it were the mot delicate thing he ever touched. Jarring herself awake from her vivid fantasy, she fought her bodies desire to let him keep her hand captive as she spoke quickly and softly.

"Oh…..I…..really its nothing, your sister is lucky to have such a caring brother like you and I…. er we that is, would be honored to serve you and provide your sister with a gown fit for a Queen. We're having a sale today because of the festival."

She peeked at him between her eye lashes.

"But if the thieves happened to take your money it won't be a problem finding something either."

Yensi flashed another smile as she beckoned him to follow her into the house. _"This was going to be easier then he thought."_ Following Leena he let his eyes gaze down at her breasts and considered bumping into her on purpose. Letting his mind wander he though of Hou and his lack of experience with women.

Leena opened the door for Yensi as he let his back push up against her breasts. Leena let out a low moan of pleasure at the sudden touch and then quickly put her hands over her mouth. Closing the door quickly behind her she started talking again to cover the embarrassing display of passion.

"I never did get your name."

Walking past Leena he called behind him with a reply "My name is Shouki."

With a slight distance between him and Leena he let out a chuckled at the effect he was having on her. Why, Hou really needed to learn more about the ways of women they really were so much fun.


	4. Lady Luck

**Disclaimer:** Fushigi Yugi and all its characters are the rightful property of Yuu Watase.

Rating: M

Chapter: 4 (Lady Luck)

Miaka woke with a startle, lifting her head up with a jerk. Eyes wide she brought her hands in front of her face and then slowly wrapped them around her body, hugging herself. She rocked back and force slowly trying to comprehend what was happening.

"_Where am I?_" she thought. _"How did I get here? How long have I been here? Why can't I remember anything?_"

From the distance she heard muffled noises and commotion coming from a back room.

"Mr. Shouki please I am not ready for this, besides we're not married! Oh….stop, please. I…do…I…do like you a lot but I only meet you today and this is all so sudden. Oh please not there-"

"_Oh God!_" she thought to herself. "_She was in someone's house and judging from the noises coming from the back room she was in a man's house." _Her mind began racing with theories,_ "A man that probably knocked her out and would come get her when he was done with the other girl in the back. Or was she a married woman waking up to the sounds of her lover cheating?_"

Miaka looked around taking in her surroundings her eyes caught on an adjacent hanging mirror. Seeing her appearance she seemed foreign even to herself. Noticing herself for the first time since she awoke she was captivated with her own reflection. She was wearing a dress, a beautiful white silk kimono embroidered with a golden phoenix that wrapped itself around her body from the dresses collar down to the bottom of the shimmering cloth. Standing abruptly on her feet she ran to the closest door pulled it open and ran outside.

As her feet connected with the cold Earth she realized her lack of foot wear. She couldn't get very far like this her feet would be throbbing with pain in mere minutes, but what other choice did she have? Running out into the open market streets she faced hundreds of people going this way and that. A whole city was alive and blooming with lively activities as out in the distance the sun melted into the horizon. Looking at the seemingly endless crowds and foreign characters that littered shop windows, suddenly the harsh reality of her situation hit her like a ton of bricks.

She had no money, no shoes, no knowledge of where she was and now with night approaching she had no place to stay. Tears threatened to rise to the surface of her eyes but she quickly rubbed away their traces with the sleeve of her silk robe. Concerned with her doomed plight she jumped when a hand touched her shoulder.

Turning around she saw the top of a bald headed man as his eyes came face to face with her breasts. He leered happily at the twin orbs, seeming pleased that his old age had made him the perfect height for viewing such a wonderful phenomenon. He licked his cracked lips and let out a wheezed hack before speaking in a raspy voice as his left hand clutched a cane.

"Hello pretty girly you look lost!"

Miaka stared down at the old man in utmost disgust.

Taking no notice of her disapproval the old man dropped his cane and let his hands float teasingly over her breasts. He looked up at her face grinning ear to ear giving her a toothless smile.

"Want to come home with me?"

Miaka flung her right hand out and slapped the old man right across the face and then took off down the street. Pushing her way past people she felt her heart beat rapidly at the thought of being caught. Once again her mind producing questions she had no way to answer. _"What had she been doing in the house to begin with? Would the man in the house come looking for her? Did the man if the house know her face? Did he know other people in town? Could have her identified? Would that old man find him and tell him she had escaped?"_ If that was the case she had to get away, the people around here weren't safe. Never slowing her pace she ran faster and faster afraid to stop. Her mind raced with single minded purpose urging her to continue, _"Got to get away!"_

When her legs finally gave out she found herself in the corner of an alley doubled over trying to catch her breath, she was utterly exhausted. Glancing left and right to make sure no one followed her she began to notice it was now officially dark and she could no longer see where she was going. Instead the only things that provided light were brightly colored masks, town lamps and sparklers floated in midair in a town celebration. Away from the town the alley itself had minimal light sources streaming from the small open windows with individual candles, making the alley jump with shadows of rats and discarded bottles that littered the gutters.

Miaka was tired and weary from running, looking up she heard the sound of a door creak open. A young girl made her way out of the door carrying a bucket. From a distance she looked about the same age as Miaka and was humming to herself as she poured the remains of the bucket out into the pavement. She was wearing a black kimono outlined with sea blue flowers with the belt loosely tied to show off her enormous breasts. She had golden brown hair that went down her back and her faced had white powder on it. She was the most beautiful girl Miaka had ever seen and the first person she had seen that looked somewhat similar to herself. Taking no notice of Miaka the girl turned around to go back into the door where she had came from.

"Wait! Please wait, can you help me?" Miaka hollered

The girl lifted her head and ran toward Miaka. Grateful for her kindness Miaka began to eagerly thank her.

"Thank you I am lost and don't-"

The girl pushed her hand against Miaka's mouth and brought her face an inch away from her own.

"Who are you? What do you want? If your husband was here that's your family's problem now do you understand?"

Reaching underneath her dress near her legs she pulled out a rusted knife and in the blink of an eye pressed it hard against the pale flesh of Miaka's exposed throat. Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke near Miaka's ear.

"You girls are all the same, you're scum farmer or fish market husband's not getting enough loving at home and they come here. One time to see what all the fuss is about, they go home and brag about their sexual prowess to their friends. Then they start coming every day because they enjoy it. They pick a favorite a red head perhaps or the one with the pretty eyes."

Continuing she let the dagger run up and down Miaka's throat watching her skin tremble underneath the blade.

"You see we give them everything they've every wanted, we let them live out their fantasies and more because they pay us generously for it. But then we get the trash knocking on our doors, girls like you, coming to look for revenge because your husbands gotten rid of you or they spend up the family savings on whores and liquor. You want revenge on the men we've taken because surely we must of drugged them or stolen their hearts? So you come looking for trouble down here late at night hoping to catch the little tramp that slept with your husband, am I right? Little do you know that we're trained in other arts besides sexual pleasures!"

Miaka whimpered at the girl's ruthless voice and began crying, now more than ever unable to stop the flow of tears.

"Please….I'm not a wife out for revenge or anything else of that kind. I am lost and scared and I don't know where I am, oh, please let me go. I swear I won't come back I'll never speak about you to anyone!"

The girl pulled the blade from underneath Miaka's throat swiftly and effortlessly.

"It doesn't matter if you're lying and I know you are….." She trailed off.

"But I'll let you go because I think you have the wrong whore house." Eyeing Miaka's clothing she lifted her dress to reveal her long shapely legs as she put the blade back into its holster. She firmly pressed it against her hip securing its position. Taking out a comb from inside her breasts she began working her hair into a bun as she spoke.

"You're obviously some rich man's wife judging from your appearance. What you want to do is go into the better districts and look for prostitutes. They don't stick out like we do here but their there all the same, just look for the Red Light District. Despite what you might think rich men still want rich whores, they don't like being caught with trashy low cost girls that any drunk off the street can buy with a month's wages."

Still staring at Miaka she let out a sigh and then a snappish yell, "Well what are you waiting for! Get the Hell out of her before I decide to steal that pretty little dress off you and dump your body in the river! Stick around and I just might change my mind."

Every fiber of Miaka's being told her to run but she couldn't. She had been running all day and she just didn't have the strength to do anything else but cry. Still weeping she pleaded helplessly.

"I told you I'm not anybodies wife. Well….I might be but I don't know! I woke up today in a man's house but I ran away and now I have no idea were I am or how I got hear. I've been running all day and I just need someplace to rest for the night, I'm so tired…"

The girl looked at her with disgust, "By the Gods above someone's beaten you senseless! What in the fuck are you babbling about?"

Miaka stopped open mouthed at the crude audacity of the girl's speech, stupefied.

"You've obviously been beaten honey. You're going on and on about nothing. Let's review the facts, you woke up in a man's house, ran away and now you can't remember where you are!" The girl let out a high whistle, "And the girl's say I've got problems."

"Look Hon if you want a place to stay you only need one thing."

Miaka glanced at her hopefully, "Yes, whatever it is I'll gladly give it to you!"

The girl let go of her hair and pushed out her open palm in front of Miaka.

"That'll be fifteen gold ryos for one night stay which includes breakfast. Women don't normally stay here but we can make accommodations, money is money."

Miaka felt the tears start to fight their way up to her eyes again as she spoke.

"I already told you I don't have any of this town's money I really-"

The girl let out a fake yawn cutting her off, "Yes, yes, yes almost forgot you've been beaten extensively so you can't pay right now and you're also suffering from amnesia as you run from your rich no good, I can't remember if I even have one, spouse." Turning around she beckoned lazily behind her shoulder with her hands, "Come with me."

Miaka opened her mouth and closed it three times struggling whether to take the time and correct this mysterious girl's impression of her or just let her assume whatever she wanted. As she watched the last of the girl's dress disappear from behind the door she decided right then and there to let this strange girl think whatever she wanted. Running after her she sent a silent prayer up above as she closed the door behind her, "Please let me find a bed to sleep in and don't let this girl be evil. I have no where else to go."


	5. The Cry For Help

**Disclaimer:** Fushigi Yugi and all its characters are the rightful property of Yuu Watase.

Rating: M

Chapter: 5 (The Cry for Help)

Kouji watched with unbelieving eyes as a tornado like thunder storm suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the horizon. Kouji squinted his eyes urging them to make out the funny shape in the storm.

"What the Hell is that?" he murmured to himself

Tasuki was still on the ground searching for the arrow he knew he wouldn't find, when suddenly he stood up. His body tensed as he felt the winds hiss behind his ears and stir his hair. He looked around for signs of life but the forest was still and quite. The animals knew there was bad weather ahead and they had scambled to find shelter. Every instinct he possessed told him here and now there was a major storm approaching. They needed to find shelter fast, this storm was going to be nasty. Looking up for Kouji his eyes settled on the back of his head.

"Kouji! There's a huge fuck'n storm coming we gotta get the Hell out of here!"

"Tasuki….." Kouji trailed off, completely shocked. "Get your ass up here and see this!"

Tasuki was not in the mood to play games with Kouji. Baring his fangs and scowling he started to yell louder.

"I'm telling you one more time, get the fuck down here! We need to go!"

From his position on the cliff Kouji only caught parts of Tasuki's excessive yelling. He was to transfixed on the figure hovering in the eye of the storm. It looked a lot like a bod-

Before he could finish his though a hard object collided with the back of Kouji's head making his eyes water. Turning around he came face to face with Tasuki's infamous bad temper. Standing at his full height of six feet he was in the process of putting his tessen away.

"Jackass! What did I say! We need to go RIGHT NOW! We don't have time to stare at shit!"

Tasuki swiftly jumped the few ledges that led to Kouji's cliff. With the same speed he grabbed Kouji's shirt and began pulling him away from the cliff's edge.

In response, Kouji reached out and grabbed the thin ponytail of Tasuki's hair causing the angry red head to turn around, ready to hit Kouji again. Raising his fist high in the air he whipped his head around to face Kouji to deliver a glare of death. Instead of looking at Kouji his eyes connected with the sight just beyond him. Out in the distance there was a hail storm, a thunderstorm and a tornado all combined into one unbelievable sight of rapid winds. Tasuki's eyes grew wide as saucers and his grip on Kouji loosened.

Kouji, glad that Tasuki had now noticed the obvious, yanked Tasuki's hair once more for good measure and then followed his gaze back to the storm. Standing side by side on the cliff's edge he pointed to the storm.

"I have no clue what the Hell that is. But I've been staring at it for the last five minutes. It even looks like there's something stuck in there. I thought it was a person but that can't be right? People just don't float!"

No sooner had Kouji finished his sentence when the distant figure suddenly started falling. Both men transfixed, watched slack jawed as it plummeted to the ground with sudden speed. Immediately the storm began receding as it spiraling backwards into the clouds, leaving the horizon clear without a trace of the once horrible storm.

Tasuki turned to Kouji, "Wha-…what…the Hell was that!"

Kouji glared at Tasuki, "How should I know! Look… let's just get out of here, I think I've had enough of the woods and hunting. This is giving me the creeps."

"I think after all this I need a drink," replied Tasuki with a sigh.

Kouji wrapped his arm around Tasuki's head pulling him into a choke hold. He punishingly tussled his fiery red hair with his other free hand. "You never change man! Let's go to the tavern nearby. You know I want a drink!"

Twisting himself out of Kouji's headlock he smoothed his hair back and grinned. Pointing at Kouji he replied, "You're buying!" Before jumping off the cliff and running toward the forest exit. Dashing at full speed he could hear Kouji screaming.

"What the Hell? You son of a bitch, don't you dare tell Ginnkigh…"

Tasuki's gang was notorious for their liquor consumption. They made it a habit to visit the bars and taverns whenever possible. Sometimes the bars treated them like royalty and spread the word that their liquor was "Tasuki approved" or specially selected "Bandit Beer." The problem was they didn't always have money to pay. Depending on the season, the jobs offered, and how lazy everyone was they just couldn't always afford to pay of their enormous bills. Being a legendary Suzaku warrior had given Tasuki the privilege of keeping bar tabs for each of his friends. Then they could pay it off a little at a time or whenever they had money. If Tasuki got to the tavern first he could put all his drinks on Kouji's tab. He let out a loud laugh just thinking about it.

Stopping at a crossroad he picked up the broken arrow Kouji had pushed into the ground to mark their path. One road took twice as long to reach town while the other dumped you right by the main road.

Snickering he looked behind him. No sign of Kouji yet he thought to himself. "_Being fast had its advantages.'_"

Racing onward triumphantly he let out a yell to no one. "Guess I found the arrow!"

An hour later he reached the tavern. He was parched from all that running and it was very dark.

The town was bustling with people. Children ran around with sparklers while mother's dresses in elaborate gowns held eloquent jeweled masks of legendary animals. He saw faces of tigers and phoenixes floating past him with glowing scales and multicolored stripes.

He caught sight of parades involving hundreds of people, street singers, and contortionists. There was so much activity going on he almost felt bad about only spending his time drinking it all away, almost. Reaching Ginnkigh's bar door his face fell as he read the sign "Closed for the Festival." Tasuki sighed. Just his luck, with a festival going on his favorite tavern would be closed on account of the manager being just as wasted as his usual guests.

He pushed past the crowds to a rundown shop titled "Pleasure Palace – Exotic Drinks and Darlings". Opening the bolted door he entered the room and instantly the smell of opium smoke and perfume collided with his senses. Something bumped into his chest and he looked down to see a pair of green eyes hidden behind a jeweled dragon mask.

"Gomennasai…" the girl squeaked trailing off as she craned her head upward to meet eyes with Tasuki.

Tasuki looked down at her and felt his face start to go red, she wasn't wearing a top.

Instinctively, he reached behind him and started to pull off his coat, to see something like that staring him in the face was temptation incarnated. Shifting his eyes to the ceiling to avoid staring directly at her chest he had his coat half way off when a cold male voice reached his ears from across the room.

"I didn't pay good money to have that girl put clothes on….."

Tasuki finished pulling the jacket off himself and over onto the girl and pushed her behind him. His embarrassment left him instantaneously and a new emotion filled with anger took its place. Looking around he scanned the room. His eyes caught the sight of a soldier sitting back in a dark corner surrounded by three busty naked girls serving him food. Tasuki let out a small primal growl trying to get a visual, he wanted to know whose ass he was going to kick, but the smoky atmosphere and the dark corner made this guy practically invisible. He could see his armor, it was so damn shiny, "_He must make some underling polish it every day,_" though Tasuki. _"I guess the guys a general or something." _No matter, he gleamed with satisfaction baring his fangs in a twisted smile, that fancy silver armour of his will turn a nice shade of red when I heat it up. His hands slide slowly to his tessen's holster, waiting for his cue. "_Fuck drinking_", he thought. _"This was going to be fun."_

Teria was in a daze. _"Did this man just put a coat over me?"_ She thought. _"Doesn't he know the Pleasure Palace is famous for its topless servers?"_ Oh and why oh why had she spoke Japanese, stupid, stupid. Rule number four, customers are not supposed to be reminded of your heritage. At the Pleasure Palace every girl is every man's fantasy and speaking a language they can't understand is never part of their fantasy. The girl looked between the two men trying to decide which was the lesser evil and the better choice. She didn't want to go back to the soldier, he had brought more than enough women to entertain him and besides she was just filling in for Jensyi the serving girl. She wasn't a whore that he could buy and do with what he pleased. Where was Big Mama anyway? These drunken guys were all gropers.

Go with the redhead and he might want her for himself to do, God knows what. But go back to the soldier and he would touch her again. She was just trying to take his order and of course, like most handsome men, he got fresh. Looking beyond the muscular red head's broad shoulders she remembered the soldier's comments made just moments ago.

"So, how much a night do _you_ cost?" His hands tried to reach for her breasts.

She had jumped away and went to the entrance door, serving girls were not supposed to be treated like whores, everyone knew that. But Big Mama was nowhere in sight and this guy was persistent. He was talking to the girls next to him, loud enough for her to hear him, taunting her trying to get a rise.

"I think your little friend likes me. Maybe I'll come back here more often for visits just to play with her. She seems to be afraid of me, but I'll change all that." Pulling an eager blond close to his chest he let out a breath of smoke.

"You girl's are so friendly and yet your friend seems rather…..annoyed with me, wouldn't you say? If you ask me she needs to be friendly toward guests or she won't get any tips. Maybe she needs someone to teach her how to properly treat a man?" He smiled coyly in her direction watching her squirm as she stayed by the door. He was the first handsome customer they had had in a long time and the girls were falling over themselves trying to please him, but she just wanted to do her job. Teira knew taking Jensyi's shift would be a mistake, festival nights always brought in weirdoes. How could she work with this guy leering at her? She had retreated to the door and was just about to get some fresh air when she collided with a solid mass. Looking up at him had been the last straw, she was going to loose it if she didn't calm herself down. Just where in the Hell were all these good looking guys coming from?

Putting on her best smile she looked up at the red head catching his amber eyes, she didn't want them to start going at it and boy did he look like he wanted a fight. She could see his muscles tense and bulge outlining his white shirt. Standing behind him she noticed he smelled like trees and grass, he must be a hunter or a woodsman? The low growl emitted from the stranger in front of her made her mind remember her present predicament and what a busted bar would cost out of her pay.

She could just hear it know, "Teria couldn't handle a little flirting from a customer on her first day as a serving girl. Honestly it was pathetic, she got all scared just like a little mouse and ran away. Why, she got so upset she bumped into another customer and caused a huge fight over her. Her! Nothing more than a common serving girl, why the men had no idea she wasn't for sale."

_"No, no, no!"_ she thought as she tussled with herself.

She couldn't loose this job she needed the money and she needed a place to stay, no exceptions. "I_ can do this she coaxed herself. The only things men want when they come here is the attention of a pretty girl, drinks, and sex. I can provide two out of three. Just look him in the eye and keep his mind off the other soldier and there will be no fight, simple enough. Okay and go!"_

"Welcome to the Pleasure Palace! We serve the best drinks and don't charge extra on festivals. If you will just take your seat I can get your order."

Tasuki looked down at the girl noticing her nervously strained chipper voice. He couldn't see underneath her mask but he knew there was no way she was happy about all this. She was trying so hard to be cheerful despite her circumstances. In a way she reminded him of Miaka always so happy no matter what, determined to make the best out of things. Well no matter he was here to help and as long as he was here he was going to see to it she was treated better. Barmaid or not she was still human and he hated seeing the weak being picked on or pushed around. Looking her in the eye he asked her a question.

"Did that asshole pay for you to keep your top off?"

Teria swallowed hard as she produced a squeak of a "No."

"Dammit!," he thought. "I didn't mean to snap at her like that, guess I am still worked up over that asshole in the corner."

Tasuki swiftly reached for his jacket on the girl and dug in the pockets, making the girl jump in protest. He produced ten gold coins and deposited them in her hands.

"Look here, I'm paying five coins for you to keep my coat on while I'm here and another five for drinks, okay?"

Tasuki couldn't tell under the mask what her reaction was to this, but she pulled his coat tight around her waist and took off to the bar.


	6. The Bar Fight

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi and all its characters are the rightful property of Yuu Watase.

Rating: M

Chapter: 6 (Bar Fight)

Tasuki was seeing red. He was locked into a staring contest with some drunk idiot in a corner filled with gorgeous women and he had no intention of backing down. He was just thinking about how fast he could put his "Rekka Shin" to the test on this guys smug ass face when he heard a meek voice from behind him.

"Um...your drinks sir."

Tasuki turned around and saw the same girl he had bumped into earlier.

"_Thank God she was still wearing his jacket." _he thought. "_That body of hers is distracting."_

He pointed to the table signaling her to put the drinks down. He was trying to concentrate on the bastard in the back but she got in between his line of vision.

He let out a growl of pure annoyance and pent up hostility. The bar girl jumped back from his table dropping his five cups of wine from her tray.

With quick reflexes he swiftly placed each cup on the table one after another as they fell mid-air.

He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say? I am a man with fast hands._" _he grinned.

Her face was terrified and she pointed to his face while backing up ever so slowly.

"What's wrong with you! You've got fangs and your hands...how did you-"

Within an instant she collided with another serving girl. The collision sent the two girls flying in the opposite direction causing them to fall into a large table. The table was filled with drunken farmers who were all to happy to see them. Teira's jacket had fallen open and her breasts were on full display. The other serving girl kicked at the old men while trying to pull Teira to her feet. It was ten against two as the girls tried to wiggle themselves free from their lecherous grasps.

"Now sweeties we don't bite!" replied one old man with three teeth.

"I've got some coins left and there all yours if you just let me feel those wonderful young perky breasts!" said another with a wheeze.

"I love this one's eyes! You don't see girls today with green eyes! Are those real?" croaked another man as her reached for Teira's face.

Missing her by inches he instead pulled off her mask revealing her face.

The other girl gave her last shove on her own attacker causing him to land backwards into the farmer's table and what remained of their drinks.

Wiping her hands together she eyed them in disgust while barking.

"I don't want to hear any shit from you guys for the rest of the night! Twenty extra coins for putting up with your perverted groping. You know the rules here and serving girls are off limits!"

"Twenty coins! That's almost as much as we paid in drinks," the men grumbled in meek protest.

"Take it up with Big MaMa!," she replied.

Turning on her heels she narrowed her eyes at Juri.

"Get it together girl and pay attention to what you are doing!"

Seeing her face riddled with fear she calmed down.

"Look I was new here too once...," she sighed picking up her broken tray.

"It's not easy but you get used to it."

Pulling Teira in close she whispered, "Grow a spine and act like you've got a pair of nuts bigger than there's or they'll walk all over you. Big MaMa can't be everywhere at once."

Shaking her head in annoyance she continued.

"Damn men! Now we need to get you a new mask. The jewels on the mask's reflection made your brown eyes look green and exotic. Exotic equals more money around here. Oh well...get back to your customers before something else starts."

Looking down at her once again she noticed her trying to put the jacket back on over her chest.

"Keep that jacket off too. I'll return it to the guy who gave it to you. He probably doesn't know your not for sale and besides this is a topless bar."

Teira watched her disappear back into the crowd with the jacket as if what just happened was nothing.

Thinking to herself she should now avoid both the fanged red haired man and the warrior she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself in the middle of the bar. Suddenly a cold voice echoed into her ear giving her shivers.

"Hello again sweetheart, did you miss me?"

Spinning around she came face with the green eyed warrior who looked a little to happy to see her. He placed a hand around her waist and pulled her closer.

"I hate to lose things that belong to me. But it's nice to know my suspicions are confirmed. Whores tend to go back to their whore houses."

Teira raised a hand as she wiggled from his grasp.

"_He must be drunk!" _she thought. "_Got to get away from him."_

She tried to slap his face. But he caught her hand easily and applied pressure. Enjoying her face slowly starting to wince with pain.

"LET ME GO!" Teira wailed.

"Don't struggle," he smiled cruelly, "Or I'll _really_ start to enjoy this."

Teira was going to faint from the pain. The man didn't know his own strength and his armor was cutting into her skin. She felt her legs give out and her vision blur as she heard someones name being called in the distance.

"MIAKA!"

Yensi heard a voice in the bar calling a name and to him it sounded like a war cry.

The red haired man he had been watching for quite some time had finally decided to make his move. With the force of a raging bull, the man was pushing past people towards him with a look of fire in his eyes. Yensi surveyed his position and enjoying the look of fear on people's faces he spoke with a commanding tone.

"Anyone foolish enough to get in my way will be sent to the Gods they so dearly worship."

Yensi watched as people hurt each other to clear out of the bar. He took this opportunity to quickly place the girl in a open back room. Deciding she was secure enough he muttered to himself, "Hopefully this time she'll stay unconscious."

Yensi stepped out of the room and found his face inches within Tasuki's tessen. Unimpressed with his enemies weapon of choice he smiled.

"Did you steal that from one of the prostitutes down here? What will I ever do to defend myself from such a powerful weapon."

Tasuki started screaming, "REKKA-"

Yensi gracefully used the hilt of his sword as he removed it from its holster to thrust it upwards into Tasuki's chin.

Tasuki stubbled backwards losing his balance while sputtering, "Bastard!"

Yensi took the opening and swung his sword coming into direct contact with the tessen.

Tasuki and Yensi were using every ounce of their strength to push one another back.

Yensi kicked out with his left leg and connected with Tasuki's stomach sending him backwards into a chair.

Tasuki pulled himself up only to see Yensi directly above him flying towards him.

Using his speed he called out the all to familiar words.

"REKKA-SHIN!"

Yensi felt flames hotter than Hell lick his armour creating an oven within his own skin as he cried out in pure pain.

Tasuki watched in deep satisfaction as the force of the flames pushed his enemy out along with what used to be the bar's back wall. With a spin of his tessen he put it back into it's holster and proclaimed proudly.

"This ain't no woman's toy idiot! Mess with the powers of Suzaku and you won't live to talk about it!"

Tasuki blood pressure lowered and he remembered what he had said before he lost his control.

"_Miaka!"_

His mind started to race as he ran through the hole he had created.


	7. The Bar Fight Part II

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi and all its characters are the rightful property of Yuu Watase.

Rating: M

Chapter: 7 (Bar Fight - Part II )

Tasuki was frantic. Outside of the bar he was looking everywhere for Miaka but to no avail.

He thought to himself, _"Damnit! She could be anywhere."_

Moving further towards the forest he continued to call her name.

"Miaka! Where are you?"

His ears caught the sound of people. Knowing the festival was still in motion he ignored the noise while continuing his desperate search.

"Miaka! Answer me!" he called louder.

Deciding she may still be inside the bar he decided the best thing to do would be to doubled back and try to slip back in unnoticed.

Tasuki turned around and for the first time really saw how much damage he had caused. He stared wide-eyed as he took in the sight before him. The bar's back wall was completely gone with hints of ruble still breaking off in periodic chunks. Flames had scorched a wide trail all the way from inside the bars wooden floor to the grass outside and beyond to the forest. He saw how a couple of trees had caught on fire and were split in two hanging drearily. Small patches of grass were still on fire and some of the bar's chairs and tables were melted from the heat.

Able to see inside the bar due to the non-existent wall. Tasuki could see a bunch of bar maids standing inside the building talking fast as they waved their hands in frustration. They were talking to at least three dozen soldiers covered in armor. Staring harder, Tasuki came to the realization that the guards he saw before him were wearing the same type of amour that the guy he had just fought wore. Before he had time to come to terms with the situation at hand. A couple of angry female voices made him stop in his tracks.

"Thats the one. He's the guy who was fighting!," said a vibrant high pitched girl.

"Just look what he did to our wall!," echoed a sultry older woman.

Tasuki pointed to himself.

"Me? Um...oh shit."

He knew he needed to get back into the bar and find Miaka but he didn't know how without going through all these people. Gritting his teeth he though about what would happen if he summoned another Rekka Shin with his tessen. His mind started to reel with possibilities.

"_If Miaka is in that bar the last thing I want to do is hurt her."_

Snapping out of his own thoughts. Suddenly soldiers came pouring out of the empty space rushing towards him all at once.

"DAMNIT ALL TO HELL!," Tasuki screamed as he took off running.

Tasuki made his way around the bar and was meet with an even bigger crowd watching the parade from the dirt road. He had difficulty making his way through while the soldiers found their very presence easily made onlookers stand back in terror.

Tasuki suddenly came to a dead end as people refused to move out of fear. Tasuki turned around to face the soldiers. A tall burly man waved his hand in a command and the rest of the soldiers parted in response to make way for him.

"_He must be in charge of the entire unit,"_ thought Tasuki.

With a strong grip he held Tasuki firmly and spoke with a slow and strange accent.

"You've been making a lot of trouble bandit...I'll make sure you rot in a prison cell."

A loud crash diverted the soldiers attention from Tasuki.

"What's going on over there!," he yelled.

Tasuki turned his head towards the commotion and saw the soldiers fighting with someone. The lantern light flickers of the parade kept him from making out the mysterious fighters appearance. Watching as the fighter stole a spear from one of the soldiers. The fighter proceeded to defend himself from the soldiers as he effortlessly demonstrated a high jump. Causing him to land directly on Tasuki's own attacker's head. Tasuki took his own opportunity to steady himself and took a defensive stance in the process, ready to fight. Not knowing if he needed to be wary of this new foe. With a swift kick to the soldiers face the mysterious fighter bounced off of his prey and came up slowly to face Tasuki with a big grin.

"Missed me!" replied Kouji to a bewildered Tasuki.

"Kouji! What took you so long!" replied Tasuki as he grabbed him into a bear hug.

Without thinking the two spun around in a continuous circle as they relieved in the joy of seeing each other again.

Kouji replied by hitting him on the head with the spear.

"I would have came faster if _someone_ hadn't removed the arrow we used to mark our path into town!"

Tasuki patted his head in pain as he surveyed the soldiers surrounding them.

"I'll get you back for that later, idiot. Right now we have bigger issues."

Tasuki and Kouji were back to back staring at the large crowd that was watching their plight and the soldiers who were closing in on them.

Kouji muttered to Tasuki, "What the Hell did you get yourself into?"

Tasuki reached for his tessen while responding, "I believe _we_ are in this situation right now and don't worry I am about to end it."

Instinctively, Kouji stood back away from Tasuki. Knowing he would unleash his Rekka Shin at any moment.

Tasuki began to concentrate, staring at his attackers ready to release his final attack. He wanted to make sure he controlled his flame this time and didn't let it extend to the crowd behind the soldiers. As the words came to his lips he suddenly, saw among the crowd a familiar face and it seemed like time stopped.

Big brown doe eyes stared into his soul, making him feel weak and unsure. Her porcelain face was illuminated by the lantern light with her brown hair fluttering in the wind. Dressed in tattered clothes that barely concealed her chest she stood there watching him.

It was no one else but Miaka and she looked terrified.

Tasuki locked eyes with her and screamed, "Miaka!"

The wasted moments gave the soldiers the advantage. As they took the opportunity to fall upon him and Kouji.

The two couldn't fight back against so many soldiers at once and they lashed out blindly.

Tasuki saw Kouji fall to the floor as a soldier hit him from behind.

Turning to help his friend he too was caught off guard with a blow to the head.

Tasuki felt his body go numb and his eyes shut as he fell to the ground in blinding pain.


End file.
